


Remembrance

by LilyFire



Category: The Walking Dead
Genre: Angst, Beth's ghost, Comfort, Denise's death, Dreams, F/M, Sad, breakdown - Freeform, first I love you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 22:56:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6348904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyFire/pseuds/LilyFire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Denise's death, all Daryl can think about his how she died from a blow to the head, how she placed her trust in him, just like Beth. Beth, and suddenly, he isn't alone anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remembrance

It was the night after Denise got shot, with his crossbow. The image played into his mind over and over, her telling him about her brother, how in her own way she was helping  
them, by playing psychiatrist and shit. And then the arrow, piercing her eye, how her voice still worked, her brain, only for a split second more. 

 

Even worse was the guilt, he should have killed Dwight that day, then this wouldn’t have happened. He should’ve. He should’ve, he should’ve, he should’ve. 

 

In one grubby hand, still stained with her blood, he clutched the keychain Dennis. She said he’d reminded her of her brother, that with him she felt safe.

 

It all reminded him too much of Beth.

 

Beth had trusted him, felt safe with him. And like Denise, Beth had died with a blow to the head. Beth had tried to help him, to fix him. 

 

And now both girls were dead. 

 

In that moment he hated Denise. He hated her for stirring up memories of Beth’s death, reminding him over and over of how the light in her eyes died, how he held her limp,  
fragile form in his arms. Every day he thought of Beth. Often a flower, or the faint hum of someone singing set a deep ache in his heart for the one he missed. But those memories  
were always bitter sweet. 

 

This, this was something else.

 

Denise had died, like Beth had. And now he had to relive both deaths over and over. 

 

Daryl fisted his hands to his eyes, as if the sheer force could hold back the well of tears. Shaky sobs erupted from his chest, and he crouched low to the ground, wanting to  
disappear, needing to disappear. 

 

Beth, Beth, Beth. 

 

He physically ached for her, as though his heart was hollow, yearning for something – someone – to fill it. Her loss stabbed him in the chest, the head, over and over again.

 

He fell to the ground, ripping out the grass and pleading for the tears to stop. 

 

They only came faster.

 

“Beth,” he gasped “Beth, I need you.”

 

He’d never felt so alone, so helpless. Not since Merle had left him when they were kids. 

 

“Beth,” his chest heaved with sobs, struggling against the weight of misery pinning him down.

 

Terror and agony crashed into him, like waves of the ocean, ripping apart his mind and pulling his heart out to sea.

 

Daryl lay there on the grass, not moving, letting the tears dry to salty trails on his cheeks. 

 

**

 

Salt. 

 

It was the first thing he smelled. 

 

A salty breeze wafted towards him, stirring his hair and fanning across his face.

 

Grass tickled his sides and he sat up, confused.

 

He was on a beach, early morning, with the sun sparkling on the water. 

 

It was beautiful, and for a moment he was content to sit there, hands on his knees, just breathing it in.

 

His gaze drifted to the shore and he could make out a lone figure walking along the shoreline, teasing the edges of the waves.

 

Immediately, his body tensed, and he scrambled to his feet. 

 

Adrenaline surged through him.

 

He’d been in this predicament once before, dreams of Beth, and it was like she appeared to him when he needed it most. 

 

Daryl tugged off his ratty combat boots and sprinted down the hill, ignoring the crunch of seashells beneath his feet. 

 

Out of breath, he hovered a few yards away, drinking in the sight of her. 

 

She wore a long white dress, fluttering gently around her slender form. Her curly hair danced in the wind and her eyes were closed in pleasure.

 

“Daryl.” She opened her eyes, her blue eyes, and Daryl felt his heart crumble at the sight.

 

“Beth,” he walked towards her, desperately wanting to hold her, but fearful that if he reached her the dream would end all too soon.

 

The sand squelched and he felt the waves lap at his feet, trying to suck him into the depths of the ocean.

 

He faced her, his eyes scanning her face. He wanted to hold her, to touch her, feel her body against his, but he waited. 

 

She let out a small, sad smile and placed a hand over his heart. He felt it beat with life, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

 

Hesitantly, his hand covered hers, trembling.

 

Beth’s eyes watered up “Oh Daryl,” she whispered. 

 

Her hands wrapped around his back, over the faded angel wings emblazoned on his vest.

 

His head came down to rest on the crook of her neck.

 

“I’m so sorry.”

 

He clung to her, like she was his lifeline, and let out the torrent of tears he’d kept dammed up inside. 

 

“The horrible things I’ve done. We shot up an entire compound, Beth. The one time I try to do somethin’ good, save someone, it comes back to bite me in the ass. There ain’t  
hope left, Beth.”

 

She stroked his hair, and her gentle touch sent another crash of sobs through him. 

 

“There is hope, Daryl.”

 

“I killed ‘er.”

 

“No, you didn’t.”

 

“But I – , my bow – ,”

 

Beth pulled out of the embrace to stare at him, he hung his head low, his hair covering his eyes. 

 

Tenderly, she lifted his chin up with her fingertips. 

 

“Fate killed her, Daryl. Circumstance, chance, another human being. Not you.”

 

He still refused to meet her concerned gaze 

 

“Daryl,” she breathed out “I love you.”

 

Startled, he glanced up. A million thoughts swirled in his head, and his mouth felt dry.

 

“I love you,” she repeated, her blue eyes filled with love and concern.

 

“Beth, I”

 

She smiled “It’s okay, I don’t expect you to say it back.”

 

He pulled her closer to him, his eyes wild “No, I was gonna say, I’ve always wanted to hear you say that. I love you, Beth.”

 

Beth placed her head on his chest, over his beating heart.

 

“Promise me that you’ll keep goin’ that you won’t give up.” 

 

He kissed her forehead, tightening his grip on her “I won’t, for you.”

 

“Good. Keep goin’ Daryl, it ain’t your fault. I love you.”

 

 

**

 

Daryl woke up in his bed, a worried Rick and Michonne hovering over him 

 

“Daryl, thank God you’re awake!” cried Michonne

 

Rick clapped a hand on Daryl’s shoulder “Glad yer back, buddy. We found ya passed out in the park.”

 

Daryl grunted.

 

Rick rambled on, but Michonne got the message. Grabbing her boyfriend’s hand she tugged him out the doorway, throwing one last concerned glance at Daryl before shutting the  
door.

 

Sun slanted through the slits of the closed window, dappling the white pillow with light. Daryl touched it softly, its innocence reminding him of Beth.

 

I love you, her words echoed in his ears.

 

Keep going.

 

“I will, Beth. I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Another depressing Bethyl story. I'm feeling a bit down in the dumps right now, so hopefully I'll get back to writing fluffy Bethyl one-shots soon. Thanks for reading!


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